The present invention relates to selection of elements from lists aided by a filtering mechanism. In various contexts of computer software, users perform data entry by selecting elements from lists. One of the most common forms that such lists take is a drop-down list. A drop-down list is a list that opens when a dropdown button is clicked on and stays open until the user selects a list item or clicks elsewhere in the user interface.
In response to increased use of lists, various tools have been created in an attempt to refine their use. Existing tools require the user to find a desired element in the context of the complete list of elements. In especially long lists, finding a single element is very time-intensive and finding elements in lists becomes increasingly difficult as the length of the list increases. Some tools highlight a list element when the beginning (leftmost portion) of the list element matches the user's data entry. However, if the highlighted element is not the element desired by the user, the user is required to scroll the entire list of elements. Thus, when using these tools, the user must ignore a large amount of visual clutter caused by the desired element being surrounded by elements in which the user has no interest.
Some tools require the user to know specific information about the way the list is structured in addition to precise details about the desired element in order to find it in the list. For example, for a list of names in <last name, first name> format, a user of existing tools is required to know that the list is organized by the leftmost string of the list element only, and thus is required to know the last name of the desired person. Some tools also require the user, for list elements that are sub-elements in a hierarchy, to know the highest-level list item in the hierarchy.